Improvement in electric and vapor chairs



v'm4 i APatented Sep. 26, 18.71.

, UNITED STATES MARY A. HAYWARD, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELECTRIC AND VAPOR CHAIRS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 119,230, dated September26, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, MARY A. HAYWARD, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kingsand State oi' Newr York, have invented and made an Improved Electric andVapor Chair for medical purposes 54 and the following is declared to bea correct description of the same.

The object of my invention is to apply to the `human body, orl portionsthereof, vapors for opening the pores of the skin, and also to bringliquids into contact with the skin for medical purposes, either with orWithout electricity. This invention consists in a chair lined with metaland rheumatism, paralysis, impurities of the blood, colds, and skin.diseases, -or for other medical l operations, wherever available.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical section of the chair and itssurrounding case complete, and Fig. 2 is a plan of the chair detached.

The chair itself is made of a hollow base, a., with arms b and back c ahead-rest, d, may also be used. Thetop of the hollow base a is made ofmetal or other material, having numerous perforations, so that vaporsgenerated in the holloW base ar, or introduced therein from a pipe, e,and vessel, f, may pass up to the person While seated upon thisperforated bottom of the chair.

The insides of the arms b and back c are lined with metal plates, inorder that one conductor of a galvanic battery may be applied theretoWhile the other conductor is held by the patient, or else applied tosome other portion of the chair, in order that an electrical currentshall be directed through the desired portion of the person. Thefoot-rest h is also covered With metal for the same purpose. If theparts of the body came directly into contact with the metallic surfacesthe chair would be uncomfortable to sit in and the electrical actionwould be disagreeable. I therefore make use of a lining of sponge, Whichis to be moistened previous to use, and forms a comfortable seat andelectrical conductor 5 and also may be used to contain medicalsubstances` to act upon the skin, or be absorbed through the pores, under the action of vapor or electricity. A These sponge liningsV can beeasily cleaned by Working. To confine the vapors to the body of theperson seated in the chair I make use ofthe case shown in Fig. 1, thesame having sides m, an inclined top, n, and a swinging door, o, that isto be closed after the chair and patient have been rolled or sliddeninto said case. There is an opening in the upper part of the case toallow vthe head to protrude, and a flexible cape may be applied aroundthe neck of the person to more fully close the opening of the case andconfine the vapors.

I claim as my invention- 1. The medical chair containing a metalliclining and connections' to a battery, substantially as speciiied, fordirecting electrical currents through the body.

2. The lining of sponge applied to and combined With the medical chairvhaving a metallic lining, for the purposes speciied.

Signed by me this 25th day oi' May A. D. 1871.

MARY A. HAiivvAnD. Witnesses GHAs. H. SMITH,

GEO. T. PINGKNEY. (107)

